mdiggs
08-22-2007, 11:16 AM
I need some advice on an idle issue. My 68 Ski Sporter (Ford 351) had been stored for 5 years. We dewinterized it, checked for leaks, got it running.
Here's the catch: It runs like a dream above 1800 rpms, but it just doesn't want to idle. My father thinks it is just the old gas (for some reason, he stored it with a full tank!), but I'm wondering whether the old fuel will do damage and also whether there is something else I should check. Buizilla in another thread mentioned carburetor problems (cracked power valves) and needing to rebuild it, but I'm wondering whether (hoping?) that is overkill as a first step to diagnosing the problem.
Questions:
1. Should I siphon off the old gas and start fresh?
2. Should I run as much of the old gas out as I can and add new?
3. Should I have the carburetor checked in case it's not the gas?
This is my first few months wit the boat, and I'm not a mechanic, so I wondering whether the behavior warrants taking it to a shop or whether I should just add new gas and fiddle with the idle on my own.
Here's the catch: It runs like a dream above 1800 rpms, but it just doesn't want to idle. My father thinks it is just the old gas (for some reason, he stored it with a full tank!), but I'm wondering whether the old fuel will do damage and also whether there is something else I should check. Buizilla in another thread mentioned carburetor problems (cracked power valves) and needing to rebuild it, but I'm wondering whether (hoping?) that is overkill as a first step to diagnosing the problem.
Questions:
1. Should I siphon off the old gas and start fresh?
2. Should I run as much of the old gas out as I can and add new?
3. Should I have the carburetor checked in case it's not the gas?
This is my first few months wit the boat, and I'm not a mechanic, so I wondering whether the behavior warrants taking it to a shop or whether I should just add new gas and fiddle with the idle on my own.